Impulse Saving

Lately I have been on a podcast listening roll.  My husband has been listening to podcasts well before we met and still does to this day.  I'm not sure if I didn't listen because I didn't want to, or because it was my stubborn mind saying that I wasn't going to to spite him.  Either way, I listen to them now.  

My current obsession are NPR programs and people that I watch via YouTube.  I will admit I do like to watch some of the podcasts via YouTube more than I like to just listen like the Jenna and Julien Podcast.  There are others that you need to both watch and listen to such as Not Too Deep with Grace Helbig.  Then there are the ones that you can just listen to like the fabulous programs from NRP: Planet Money, TED Radio Hour, Invisibilia, and Serial.

The catalyst to the whole podcast listening thing was probably Serial.  I mean that series broke records including the fastest podcast to reach/stream 5 Million.  We live in a world of video and television... who listens to the radio like that??!!  It makes me think of stories my dad told me about how he and his parents used to gather around the radio to listen to radio programs.  Not only did they listen to these programs they were really drawn to them.

TV existed when my dad was growing up but there was just something about the radio that drew them in.  Even as an adult my dad listened to the baseball games on the radio in the garage because there was just something nostalgic to him.  It just felt right.  Even to this day I sometimes listen to ball games on the radio even though I could watch it on TV just because it reminds me of my dad.  It makes me remember him and get all fuzzy and warm inside.  I can't help it.  Anything that makes me remember memories of him makes me a little nostalgic and happy.

Whoa!  I got way side tracked.  I love my dad.  He loved listening to radio programs.  My husband listens to podcasts with the same intensity that my dad listened to live radio.  My husband sucked me into that world.  I love podcasts.  Whew!  Now we are back to the point of the post.

I'm not sure which podcast I was listening to today but I'm almost 100% positive it was a NPR podcast and the person on there mentioned Impulse Saving. Now they did not (by profession) encourage impulse saving but they made a comment that if there were a red button in our house that we could push everytime we wanted to save we would save much more than what we do now.  I totally agree with this.

When I think about how I want to split my paycheck each month I think about how each month I get a direct deposit.  My paycheck is first reduced by my traditional 401k and additionally my Roth 401k.  There are a few other additional things taken out like, you know, taxes, damn those government payments... I digress... After the retirement reductions there are other reductions such as FSA and insurance.  After all of those items are removed and I get down to the measly net pay, I split it 46%  joint (husband and wife) bills and the rest my bills and spending.

When I look at my paycheck I know that 10% is automatically going to my retirement account without me being affected by it.  It's the other savings that I really have to work at.  To make any additional savings happen beyond my 401k savings I have to do things like set up automatic investments and savings.  Those are all great but think about how much more you could save if all the effort required for saving was an Easy Button??   How great would that be???!!!

When I think about it.  I wish there were a button like that in my house.  I mean I can blow $20 on dinner easy so why no use that towards something more productive such as saving.

Definitely easier said than done.

I know it sounds easy in theory but I mean when credit card bills start rolling in after Christmas, it isn't surprising to me that people would not be focused on saving.

What a concept, an easy button to save... why isn't there an easier way to save??? Maybe there is but I don't know if it.  We live in the world of smart phones... why doesn't this exist yet???

Secrets

TED Radio Hour: What's Your Coming Out Story?

Today I listened to a TED Radio Hour where the title of the podcast was Keeping Secrets.  I thought what an interesting topic to focus on.  Why do we keep what we keep secret? 

We all have secrets. 

There was a statement by one of the guests, Ash Beckham, “Secrets are perceived imperfections.” 

Wow!  What a powerful way to think about secrets.  That could not have been a truer statement.  The simplicity of what she said floored me.  It was so simple. 

There are so many things that I don’t tell others about me because I don’t want them to judge me.  The problem with that thought process is that I have already decided what they are going to do with the information once it comes awkwardly spilling out of my mouth.  What if the person on the other end just takes it for what it is and keeps moving? 

Maybe it would be better to just tell the world.  What kind of pressure could be lifted off my shoulders by not holding on to some “perceived imperfection” with the grip of King Kong? 

She states in the podcast that when you are ready to let go of your secret and tell the world that you should follow the 3 Pancake Girl Principles:

1. Be authentic
2. Be direct
3. Don’t apologize for who you are

I could elaborate more about what she says but those three brief statements speak volumes.  I had never heard of Ash Beckham before this podcast but thought, “my goodness lady you have said some really simple statements that just shook me to the core.”  Although if I go back to what I learned in school KISS (Keep It Simple Sweetie/Stupid/etc.) was a rule we often used.

Now her secret is different from the ones that I carry but what she said applies to all people holding on to a secret.  I really don’t have much to add to this but what secrets do you keep inside of you that have been eating you alive?

If you ever listen to the podcast, my favorite part by far was when a little girl replies to Ash Beckham and says, “My favorite pajamas are purple with Fish.  Can I get a pancake please?”  It doesn’t make sense without the context around it but it made me laugh to tears.  

Flashback Friday: Monster Trucks

Last Friday I took the time to look back through my pictures and think about what I was doing one year ago and it was really fun, so in light of #FBF, I thought I'd go back to 2011 to see what I was doing then...

So as we travel back in time to 2011, I think about where I was in life... unmarried, child free, I wasn't even an aunt back then.  When I say "2011" it doesn't sound that long ago but when I think about how dramatically my life has changed from then it seems like an eternity ago.  As I look back four years, I was hanging with my brother and best friend (who are now husband and wife!) we were at Ford Field watching Monster Jam.



The crazy thing is I actually like Monster Jam but haven't been back since this time because life just wasn't permitting around this time of the year for the last three years.  Not that I'm super into it as in I know who all the drivers and trucks are but it is really fun to watch.  I mean if you really think about it there are trucks weighing a minimum of 9,000 lbs jumping in the air over other cars and even buses!!  I mean the tires weight like 900 lbs each!  That sounds like madness when you think about it.

When I look back to four years ago it was such a monumental year in my life.  At this time four years ago the following things weren't even on my radar even though they all happened in 2011:

• Engagement.  I had been in a relationship (with my now husband) for a few years but we weren't committed by any ring or form of contractual paper.
• Wedding and Marriage.  Sometimes I can be a bit impatient and we got married in the same year.
• My nephew was born.  My brother had a baby boy!  That was just wild because I really thought I'd have to wait until my husband's sister had a child before I'd get a child that I hadn't birthed to spoil.  Man I love that kid.  I also have a niece from my husband's sister now.  She's such a doll!
• More weddings! I'm not sure I even knew my sister-in-laws wedding date at this time.  
• I had just changed employers.

It was definitely a year of huge changes for me at the time.

As I look back at my pictures to jog my memory, it was four years ago on this date I was checking out Monster Jam in Detroit at Ford Field.  I just think it is so cool to see these trucks doing what they do in such a small space.  I think it would be really cool if I got to go to something like this outside but whatever.

This is the view I got to see:

 It was a pretty packed place... I was a bit surprised

It looks like a tiny toy but those tires are taller than me!

What a random #FBF but I still thought it was pretty cool that on this day four years ago I was actually doing something fun.  I don't think I'll be going this year though... my husband doesn't get it and I don't think it's the place for my daughter yet.  She's got trucks to play with... they're just a little smaller.

How Pinterest has... Ooh! Shiny thing!!

I am quite easily distracted.  Today, I went on the computer just to check one message I received via Pinterest and totally got sucked in.  Pinterest always seems to get me.  I love that site.  I mean there are so many cool things to look at and to learn how to do.

Aww... little me, many many years ago

As I was reading about concentric cracks vs radial cracks (we'll address that shortly) I thought why not write a Whimsical Wednesday post.  This is the journey I took through Pinterest today.

It all started with one little message:

That's ducking funny!!

and then I thought, "oh, that's a pretty make up look that (I'll never be able to do but) I'd like to look at and read about." So I checked this out :

This is beautiful!!

This is a seemingly innocent pin on this journey.  

As I scroll further down the page, perusing through the pins, I ran across this:

I live in the suburbs. I don't have room for a cow.

I clearly needed to read up on what I need before getting a milk cow.  I barely have time to properly attend to my sweet dog. 

Why am I reading this??? I do like butter and cheese though.  Mmmm... cheese... *drool

After that little gander to the North Country Farmer, I ventured over to this:

I don't have pink eye and haven't since I was a child in the single digits... just in case though

Just in case my child has a nasty bout with an icky, crusty eye.  I now know the different types of pink eye as well as how to naturally remedy it.  Whew!  I'm glad I got that burning question answered.  I mean it's been bugging me.

After I gained more knowledge to bank in the for future use category. I got intrigued by this pin:

What the heck is lacto-fermenting???

I might not know what lacto-fermenting is but I know that I like pickled veggies.  Now I know how to do it myself.  Well, maybe... I read how to do it but that doesn't mean that I really am going to execute it with great success... maybe that is a post for the future.

And then I found cracked tomatoes: 

I don't even garden... I ask my brother to grow me tomatoes.  Thanks brother!!

That is where I learned the difference between a concentric crack vs radial crack.  It was a pretty interesting post but I don't garden.  I have a charcoal dusted, onyx thumb that can barely keep grass alive!

Oh, Pinterest.  I love you but dang it!  You can keep me occupied for hours upon hours.  

And that my friends is how my unfocused little brain works.  You see something interesting and you click.  As my brother would say, "ooh, shiny thing!"

Mustache Monday

Have you ever been so busy that you don't really take the time to really look at yourself?  Yes, you take the time to shower and dress yourself in clean clothes and all that regular jazz but no time for your regular war paint (or make-up as it commonly referred to).  Then you have that one day that you think, I've got a few extra two minutes, let me do my hair and slap on some lipstick then you look at yourself...

OH MY GOSH!!!  How long has this mustache been here???!!!??? Why did no one tell me it was so bad???

Ok, maybe it wasn't this bad but that's how I felt it looked.  

I always hope that my husband would notice things like this and kindly suggest that I attend to my growing symbol of masculinity but alas he doesn't.  Maybe that is a good thing because he tends to tell me how good I look no matter how not good looking I feel.  

Well no matter how much he didn't notice, I did take care of my ever growing facial hair in a hurry... it doesn't seem to go well with my shimmery pink lipstick.

Also, when did mustaches become such a big thing?  Me asking that makes me feel old and out of touch by the way...

Happy Monday!!  Now let's walk into the rest of the week like a boss!